1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and program for a visitor pass system for managing a visitor""s entry into and departure from a company gate or the like.
2. Background of Related Art
Often, a visitor to a company or a plant is required to write his/her name, company name, purpose of visit, and the name of a receiving staff person whom he/she wants to see (hereinafter referred to as a xe2x80x9cstaffxe2x80x9d) on a predetermined form at a reception desk (e.g., a guard station next to the gate). A receptionist then makes a call to the receiving staff to announce that the visitor is coming, and the visitor receives an instruction from the staff. For example, the staff may ask the receptionist to give a message to the visitor that he/she wants to see the visitor at the lobby near the entrance of the plant. Then, as provided, the receptionist gives a pass and the message to the visitor.
Due to the complexities and inconvenience often encountered when visiting a particular site, it is desirable to have a manageable method for accommodating a visitor""s entry into and departure from a company""s gate, for instance.
An object of the present invention is to simplify visitor formalities. Another object of the present invention is to easily manage a visitor""s entry into and departure from a company gate. A further object of the present invention is to computerize visitor formalities.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the visitor pass system for managing a visitor""s entry and departure through a communication network comprises: visit data storing means for storing visit data of a visitor; input and output means for transmitting appointment data entered to the visit data storing means through the communication network to store the data therein; identification data reading means for reading identification data from identification means of the visitor; visitor identifying means for identifying the visitor on the basis of the identification data and preparing visitor""s data; and visitor""s data transmitting means for transmitting the visitor""s data to the visit data storing means through the communication network to store the visitor""s data therein.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a visitor pass system for managing visitor""s entry and departure through a communication network comprises: visit data storing means for storing visit data of a visitor; input and output means for transmitting appointment data entered to the visit data storing means through the communication network to store the data therein; identification data reading means for reading identification data from identification means of the visitor; visitor identifying means for identifying the visitor on the basis of the identification data and preparing visitor""s data; appointment data retrieving means for retrieving appointment data related to the visitor""s data from the visit data storing means through the communication network; and arrival notification data transmitting means for transmitting data to notify the visitor""s arrival to the input and output means through the communication network.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the visitor pass system for managing visitor""s entry and departure through a communication network comprises: visit data storing means for storing visit data of a visitor; input and output means into which a staff enters appointment data and from which the appointment data is transmitted to the visit data storing means to store the data therein; identification data reading means for reading identification data from identification means of the visitor; visitor identifying means for identifying the visitor on the basis of the identification data and preparing visitor""s data; appointment data retrieving means for retrieving appointment data related to the visitor""s data from the visit data storing means through the communication network; and permit data output means for outputting permit data when the appointment data related to the visitor""s data is found.
In another aspect of the present invention, a further embodiment provides a visitor pass method for managing visitor""s entry and departure through a communication network which comprises the steps of: (a) reading identification data from identification means of a visitor by identification data reading means; (b) identifying the visitor on the basis of the identification data and preparing visitor""s data by visitor identifying means; and (c) transmitting the visitor""s data to visit data storing means through the communication network by visitor""s data transmitting means to store the data therein.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the visitor pass method for managing visitor""s entry and departure through a communication network comprises the steps of: (a) transmitting appointment data to the visit data storing means through the communication network to store the data therein, said appointment data entered into input and output means by a staff; (b) reading identification data from identification means of a visitor by identification data reading means; (c) identifying the visitor on the basis of the identification data and preparing visitor""s data by visitor identifying means; (d) retrieving appointment data related to the visitor""s data from the visit data storing means through the communication network by appointment data retrieving means; and (e) transmitting data to notify the visitor""s arrival to the input and output means through the communication network by arrival notification data transmitting means.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the visitor pass method for managing visitor""s entry and departure through a communication network comprises the steps of: (a) transmitting appointment data to the visit data storing means through the communication network to store the data therein, said appointment data entered into input and output means by a staff; (b) reading identification data from identification means of a visitor by identification data reading means; (c) identifying the visitor on the basis of the identification data and preparing visitor""s data by visitor identifying means; (d) retrieving appointment data related to the visitor""s data from the visit data storing means through the communication network by appointment data retrieving means; and (e) outputting permit data by permit data output means when the appointment data related to the visitor""s data is found.
In another aspect of the present invention, a further embodiment of the present invention provides a visitor pass program for managing visitor""s entry and departure through a communication network which comprises instructions for causing a computer to perform the steps of: reading identification data from identification means of a visitor; identifying the visitor on the basis of the identification data and preparing visitor""s data; and transmitting the visitor""s data to visit data storing means for storing visitor""s visit data through the communication network to store the data therein.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the visitor pass program for managing visitor""s entry and departure through a communication network comprises instructions for causing a computer to perform the steps of: transmitting appointment data entered to visit data storing means for storing visitor""s visit data through the communication network to store the data therein; reading identification data from identification means of a visitor; identifying the visitor on the basis of the identification data and preparing visitor""s data; retrieving appointment data related to the visitor""s data from the visit data storing means through the communication network; and transmitting data to notify the visitor""s arrival to the input and output means through the communication network.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the visitor pass program for managing visitor""s entry and departure through a communication network comprises instructions for causing computer to perform the steps of: transmitting appointment data entered to visit data storing means for storing visitor""s visit data through the communication network to store the data therein; reading identification data from identification means of a visitor; identifying the visitor on the basis of the identification data and preparing visitor""s data; retrieving appointment data related to the visitor""s data from the visit data storing means through the communication network; and outputting permit data when the appointment data related to the visitor""s data is found.
In the visitor pass system comprising visitor data transmitting means and the visitor pass method according to the present invention, visitor""s data such as a name, telephone number, arrival and departure time, and the like can be stored in visit data storing means. Therefore, the visitor pass system and method according to the present invention can minimize visitor formalities and reduce congestion in the reception, and thus improve customer service. In such system and method, the visitor can be identified easily by identification means such as a visitor""s business card. Further, all the visitors"" data can be stored in the visit data storing means through the communication network, so that data retrieval and management can be easily conducted. Furthermore, in such system and method, appointment data can be transmitted from the input and output means to the server to store it in the server, so that the expected visitor and the actual visitor can be compared to determine if they match.
In the visitor pass system comprising appointment data retrieving means and arrival notification data transmitting means and the visitor pass method, the actual visitor and the expected visitor can be compared to determine if they match, and then the visitor can obtain a chance to send a notification of arrival to a staff. Therefore, if the actual visitor is not the expected visitor or if the identification data reading means wrongly reads the identification data, and reduces the likelihood of making the visitor unpleasant.
In the visitor pass system comprising appointment data retrieving means and the permit data output means and the visitor pass method according to the present invention, permit data can be output automatically when it is determined that the actual visitor is the same person as the expected visitor. On the contrary, when the actual visitor is not the same person as the expected visitor, permit data can be output through predetermined procedures.
In this visitor pass system in which the visitor identifying means includes number entry means, even if the bar code reader wrongly reads a bar code and determines that the actual visitor is not the same person as the expected visitor, it can be re-determined whether the actual visitor is the same person as the expected visitor in accordance with the number entered by the actual visitor. Thus, this system reduces the likelihood of the visitor becoming unpleasant
In the visitor pass system comprising identification data comparing means according to the present invention, two or more kinds of data obtained from the visitor can be compared to determine whether the actual visitor is the expected visitor or not. For example, if an illegally obtained business card is used, the system can determine that the actual visitor is different from the expected visitor.
In the visitor pass system comprising read command means according to the present invention, the second identification data reading means is ready to read only after the first identification data reading means determines whether the actual visitor is the expected visitor or not For example, where the first identification data reading means is a bar code reader and the second identification data reading means is a business card reading means, the bar code reader first checks the identity of the visitor through the bar code, and then visitor""s data can be read by the business card reader if it is determined that the visitor is the expected person.
In the visitor pass system comprising means for controlling output of permit data, after the second identification data reading means is ready to read, the second reading means determines whether the actual visitor is the expected visitor or not If the visitor is the expected person, permit data can be output. Thus, the identity of the visitor can be checked twice, and therefore this visitor pass system can serve as an improved security system.